Institutions of professional higher education (PHE) play an increasingly  important role in enhancing European competitiveness and innovation capacity, especially on the regional level where PHE institutions act as connectors and crucial links between the regional SMEs, regional organisations and society. In addition, applied research activities have an important role in developing students’ skills including their innovative thinking and entrepreneurship and contribute thus to further economic growth and jobs within the regions.

Despite the wide benefits of PHE institutions’ activities within society and their region and the fact that in many regions they act as the connecting link between the regional actors (authorities, employers, organisations), their full potential is still to be revealed. The wide range of activities falling within applied research, innovation and regional engagement and their relatively small scale makes it relatively difficult to address them as a whole when it comes to support, assessment and recognition.

Due to its practice-oriented approach and specific characters, the applied RDI and regional activities do not fit the same metric as the research & innovation activities done at the more traditional universities. Therefore there is a need to support further development and enhancement of the PHE institutions staff capacity to engage into applied research activities, link these to teaching and develop relevant ways for engagement of students in these activities.

RECAPHE intends to address this gap by supporting further development and enhancement of the PHE institutions staff capacity to engage into applied research activities, link these to teaching and develop relevant ways for engagement of students in these activities.

Mission & Vision Our vision is that strengthening the research capacity of Professional Higher Education will contribute to excellence in applied Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) in Europe. Our Mission is to enhance the capacity of Professional Higher Education in Europe to develop, design, deliver and assess various research and learning activities of PHE institutions in collaboration with the world of work and regional partners.

50+

research competences identified by RECAPHE

90+

learning outcomes covered by RECAPHE

40+

open online resources to improve the way you undertake research

3+

reports and articles on research in PHE

7

current RECAPHE countries in a growing network

10000+

participants benefiting from the results